insideKENT Magazine Issue 48 - March 2016 | Page 133
CHARITY
abigail’s story
12-year-old Abigail Bolt, who is dependent on a wheelchair, still
remembers being able to walk. “I wasn’t always in a wheelchair.
I could waddle until I was about 7 or 8,” she recalls.
Her mum, Mel, remembers the time her daughter,
who has muscle and nerve wasting condition
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 2, stopped
being mobile. “We came back from a trip to
Spain to see family. I had a sickness bug and
Abbie caught it and within 24 hours she never
knew who we were. Her blood sugar level had
dropped to zero and her body was shutting
down. When she came out of the hospital she
was a bit weaker. We put her on her feet and
she fell and at that point we realised she would
never be on her feet again.”
The family are supported by charity Demelza
Hospice Care for Children and Abigail, known
as Abbie, has been spending time at the facility
in Sittingbourne since 2011.
Mel explained their initial feelings about going to
Demelza: “We knew about Demelza but we
thought it was more about the hospice rather
than the respite. We stayed for the weekend,
and from that moment on Abbie was just like
`this is my place’. We loved it from day one. Now
Abbie goes to Demelza for weekends every few
months as she ‘gets a bit bored with food
shopping and her parents.’”
Abbie adds: “When I am here on my own I feel
more independent, I can go on and do my own
thing. I like either the pool or the music room.”
Abbie has very broken sleep so for parents Melisa
and Craig, when Abbie is at Demelza it’s a chance
to catch up on sleep or spend time with their
son, Bradley, aged six.
Mel says: “Abbie needs moving every 15-20
minutes overnight. She gets hot and she gets
cold and if she’s unwell she has to have her
bipap machine on overnight to help her breathe.
When she’s at Demelza it’s very quiet at home
because we’re so used to the calling and the
shouting and we do miss her, but we know she’s
having fun and she just loves it here. It’s an
amazing place and we can’t ask for a better place
for Abbie to feel comfortable in.”
them: “She’s getting weaker and she knows she’s
getting weaker. It’s nice she can come here and
forget about things.
Demelza has also been invaluable for the family
after Abbie had two major operations, one to
insert spinal rods and one to adjust her hips.
Rather than long stays in hospital Abbie came to
Demelza for a few weeks a s the nurses could
change the dressings, sort out stitches and give
medication. Abbie said, “I found it helped as I
don’t like hospitals.”
“It’s always at the back of my mind especially
when there are lots of colds or coughs about, do
we have to go to ICU, is she going to come out
of ICU?
The family have also benefitted from some of the
extra care Demelza provides. Abbie has had art
therapy sessions and Bradley is looking forward
to taking part in some of the sibling activities.
“As she does get weaker
it’s nice to know whatever the
outcome is she can come here
and know that she’s going to
be looked after.”
www.demelza.org.uk
And while the future for Abbie is uncertain Mel
knows that Demelza will continue to be there for
volunteers needed for maidstone charity shop
Demelza Hospice Care for Children is holding a volunteer recruitment day
in a bid to find more help for its charity shop in Maidstone.
The shop sells a range of donated goods, clothing, homewares and
accessories and also organises craft events and clubs.
Staff will be at the shop in the Royal Star Arcade on 3rd March between
10.30am to 1pm with information for anyone interested in volunteering.
The charity, which supports the families of children with life-limiting or lifethreatening conditions across Kent, originally opened a pop-up shop in the
Royal Star Arcade for Christmas 2014. But the store proved so popular
with shoppers that when another unit in the centre became available last
year Demelza decided to open a permanent shop.
More volunteers are needed to help run the shop with tasks including pricing,
sorting, window displays and serving customers.
Anyone who is unable to attend but is interested in volunteering can ring
01795 845265 or email [email protected].
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